The Way I Loved You
by RJ O'Hara
Summary: Olivia finds the perfect man... But not her perfect man. She then has to go about getting him back... Better than it sounds. EO, of course.
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER: I only own what does not belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Finally! Something new! I've been working on this for a bit... And I thought I'd finally publish it. Enjoy!**_

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She gazed across the table at his face, leaning on her hand and smiling gently as she listened to him talk. The room was a deep red, accented with soft violet curtains. The candles lit the room with a soft glow as the chatter grew more and more hushed. And Olivia simply gazed at the man sitting across from her as her thoughts wandered...

It all started almost nine months ago, with a quiet, friendly meal that she shared with her partner of over a decade.

"You know..." she began, picking at her food with her fork, "it's really nice of you to bring me here, but... why exactly?" Her gaze fluttered up to meet his piercing blue eyes. He grinned at her before looking back down to his food.

"You honestly don't remember what today is?" He took another bite of steak.

Olivia looked away and bit her lip, chewing on it as she tried to remember what today possibly could be. "I give up," she finally said simply.

"It's our anniversary."

"Anniversary?" she asked, choking on her food slightly, flustered and utterly confused. "What do you mean by 'anniversary'?"

Elliot chuckled. "Our partnership anniversary, Liv. Eleven years. What'd you think I meant?" He looked up at her again and winked, and Olivia could swear she felt her heart melting in her chest. Those eyes... those big, blue eyes...

"Oh," she sighed, coming back to her senses. "Oh... of course." She gave him a tired half smile.

Elliot could see she was out of it, so he called for the bill. As they headed out the door and for the car, it began to drizzle. They quickened their pace slightly.

It was raining lightly as Elliot finally pulled up in front of Olivia's apartment building. He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car, sighing heavily. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but the words got caught in her throat. Instead, she rubbed his arm gently. He glanced at her and a spark lit behind his eyes.

Olivia could feel her heart going again, and in a desperate attempt to keep from throwing herself at him, she pulled away, blushing. "Do, uh... Do you want to... come up to my place... grab a drink?" she stumbled. She knew where this might be heading and that it was wrong... but how can something so wrong, feel so right?

After a long minute of contemplating, he nodded and the two began heading up to Olivia's apartment. It was the longest walk of Olivia's entire life... she thought that her legs might give out from her with every step she took. Because the man walking next to her always made her knees weak...

She fumbled with her keys before unlocking her door and pushing it open. Elliot followed her in as she hurried to the kitchen. He closed the door behind him and settled himself on the couch.

"What do you want?" she yelled from the other room.

"What do you have?" he shouted back, furrowing his brow as he noticed the pictures around the room. He stood slowly and looked at all the photos hanging around.

"I have some Jack Daniels, Gin and Tonic, Port, and..." she paused briefly and rifled through her shelves. "Beer."

He was barely listening to her now, his attention was focused on the pictures. "Umm..." he said, completely unaware. "A beer's fine, Liv. Thanks."

There was a picture of a younger Olivia with her arms around her mother, Serena, and they were both smiling... which Elliot found a little surprising since he knew the tense relationship between them. There was also a picture of the whole gang from a number of years ago, smiling almost gravely at the camera. And there was a recent picture of Olivia holding Eli and Elliot's arm was around them while they all beamed brightly. Another recent one was of her and Simon. He had scooped her up in his arms and she was laughing while she wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.

But the one photo that Elliot's eyes were fixated on was a large photo of Elliot and Olivia. It was zoomed in on their faces and Elliot's arm was wrapped around Olivia's shoulder. It was from the night of the New Year's party last year. Just before the camera flashed to take the picture, Elliot had leaned over and snuck a friendly kiss on Olivia's cheek. It made her face light up and she was beaming. Elliot grinned at the picture.

"That's my favorite one," she said quietly from the doorway, making Elliot jump slightly. She pushed herself off the door frame and handed him a beer before taking a swig of her own. "New Year's," she sighed. A slight smile crept across her strong face. "That was a great night..." Her sentence seemed unfinished.

"But?" Elliot asked, hoping to know the longing she held behind those beautiful brown eyes.

She looked at him, a certain pain in her eyes. She looked at him for a long minute before finally shaking her head. "Nothing. Nothing..."

"Come on, Livvie," he chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulder, just like in the picture. "I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything."

"That's just it, El. I _can't_..." her voice cracked on the last word.

"Of course you can," he said gently, serious now, as he sat her down on the couch. "What is it, Liv?"

And suddenly... Olivia couldn't control herself. She grabbed Elliot's face firmly and pulled him towards her. She kissed him passionately – fiery – and Elliot didn't hesitate to kiss back. But then he pulled away hastily, his eyes filled with panic.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked her angrily, standing and pacing the room.

"You can't tell me you didn't like that – you didn't want it... I know you too well to know that you _did_ like it, you _did_ want it."

"It doesn't matter if I liked it or not, Olivia! I'm married, I have children I need to take care of. I can't just go running around with any girl I want like a hormonal teenager!" he shouted at her.

"Any girl? Am I just 'any girl' to you, then?" she asked him, hurt.

Elliot looked back at her and saw the pain he caused her and his angry face softened slightly. "No. No, Livvie. You're not."

"Whatever, just leave," she said, irritated. She folded her arms and turned her steady gaze away from him.

"Olivia -" he tried to begin.

"Just go home to your wife and kids! They're obviously more important to you than I am!" She stood, putting a hand to her chest as she spoke. "Now... can you find the door, or should I show you the way out?" she asked, furious now.

Elliot stood completely still, stunned by Olivia's sudden outburst.

"Fine," she hissed and stomped to the door. She thrust it open. "Here."

Still, Elliot didn't move. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable under her angry glare, but he stood his ground. He folded his arms to imply that he wasn't going anywhere. Olivia got the message.

"You know what? You can stay here. _I'll_ leave," she hissed angrily, grabbing her sweater and slamming the door behind her.

"Damn it, Olivia!" Elliot whispered to himself before rushing after her.

She had already made it down all the stairs and was running through the lobby when she caught sight of the time. Two in the morning. She wondered how time had slipped away so quickly from them as she hurried through the door. Elliot followed close behind.

She ran down the dark empty street, trying to escape Elliot's grasp and undying questions. It had begun to pour and Olivia wished she had worn something heavier than a simple sweater. She stopped at the corner and leaned against the lamp post, bending over as she heaved for breath. Water drenched her body, and for that, she was somewhat thankful. Because she was sopping wet, she'd hoped that Elliot couldn't see her crying. How wrong she was.

He grabbed her arm, gently but firmly, and she stood up to turn and look at him. He was just as sopping as she was, and only one look filled his bright blue eyes that caught Olivia off guard every time she looked into them. Passion. He looked at her red eyes, and he could tell she's been crying. It was his fault she was crying... He made her cry more than he'd like to admit.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice steady and pose strong, despite her weak emotional state.

He stepped up to her, his brow drawn in and rain falling off his face. He looked down at her for a long minute, breathing heavily. She looked back, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. "God damn you, Olivia," he finally whispered over the rain, a slight grin on his face.

She drew her brown in and her jaw fell slightly. Of all the things he could have said, that was the last thing she expected. She looked up at him for another long minute. "You know what? Fuck you, Elliot Stabler! You're an asshole."

She was about to turn to walk away from him again when his arm snaked around her waist. He pulled her soaking body close to his. He kissed her deeply as the rain slid over and between them. His other hand went to her head. His fingers started at the wet hair plastered to her head at her temple, and he ran them through until he held the back of her head, as if trying to pull her closer. Olivia snaked her arms around his neck and she too held the back of his neck, as if trying to pull him closer.

It looked like a scene from a movie.

"Olivia?" he said pulling away. She knit her brow in confusion... That wasn't Elliot's voice... "Olivia?" he said again. "Olivia, are you listening to me?"

Reality check. She shook her head, shaking off the memory. She was leaning on her hand, staring at the man across the table from her. He had apparently been telling her about his day... He apparently couldn't see that the smile on her face was fake. Maybe that's because he hadn't seen her actual smile, he'd only seen her fake one.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, shaking her head and leaning back in her chair. "I was just remembering something."

"Do you want to go home?" he asked gently.

She gave him a half smile from across the table. "I think that'd be best. Thanks, Noah." She nodded.

After paying for the bill, the two waited outside for the valet to bring Noah's Prius around. Once it came around an Noah got his keys, he went to the passengers side door and opened it for Olivia. She sidled in, giving a thankful grin up at him. The door closed and – for a moment – Olivia was enveloped in complete silence. She sighed heavily and relaxed in her seat, taking advantage of the very brief moment of quietness that she never experienced in her everyday life.

Her thoughts fell back to Elliot once more. "God," she said through clenched teeth, thinking of how frustrating Elliot could be... how frustrating he always was. But that was just the way he was, and she never wanted him any other way. That was just the way she loved him...

Noah opened the drivers side and the sounds of the world poured in for another moment before being shut out again. But now... now she wasn't alone. Now it wasn't relaxing...

"Are you okay, honey?" he asked, pulling away from the restaurant.

"Huh?" she stumbled, his voice bringing her back to reality again. "Oh... Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks." She smiled at him – another fake smile...

"You look beautiful tonight," he said softly.

She grinned, but nothing in her heart swelled like it did when Elliot said it... "Thank you."

"Do you want me to come home with you?" he asked after a while.

She rolled her head to look at him. And for a long minute, she just looked at him... He was the perfect man. He was sensitive, sensible, charming, and endearing... He never made her wait, he always called on time, and he always respected her space. All the women that Olivia knew were jealous of her fine catch – which really wasn't very many people, just Casey and the women in her support group. It was like she couldn't ask for anything better, he was perfect... but she still didn't love him...

"I think..." she paused, taking a deep breath. "I think I just need some time alone right now, baby. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's alright, we all need some alone time sometimes." He smiled at her.

He dropped her off in front of her apartment building, not even bothering to stop and walk her up to her third story apartment. He kissed her goodbye and drove away.

She stood outside in the cold for a long while, staring up into the sky, wishing she could see the stars. But it was New York City, nobody could see the stars. She pulled her shawl tighter over her shoulders, keeping warm from the sudden breeze.

Finally, when she laid in her bed in the pink duck pajamas that Eli had picked out for her and a white spaghetti strap, she let her mind wander back to those months that she'd spent with Elliot... And how only they knew, they didn't even tell the gang. She thought about how it was he who shared the bed with her every night, not some man she tried to pretend was him...

And she finally came to a conclusion: it was time for a change. It was time to go back to the way it was...

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_**A/N: Should I continue? Please R&R!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. I've begged for them, but Dick Wolf still refuses to give them to me.**_

_**A/N: Alrighty. First off, I'd like to say that I (subconsciously) got the idea from MHFever's story "Lessons of Seduction". If you want an absolutely amazing story, go read that. So, the idea belongs to her. And, to MHFever, I did try to change it but I couldn't find a good way to do it... Starting at the next chapter, though, it does change. Now... I hope you guys like it. :)**_

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The next day was a bright and sunny Sunday, and Olivia was off of work. She thanked god for that, because right now she didn't want to see Elliot. She wanted to teach Elliot a lesson, that was for sure, but she just didn't know how she was going to execute her plan yet... So she was grateful for a day to plan it.

She went downtown, looking for the shortest short-shorts she could find. She found a pair and tried them on. When she looked at herself in the mirror... she knew she'd have Elliot drooling over her. She bought them and continued her shopping spree. These weren't the only things that were going to have Elliot drooling over her... She grinned at her own thoughts.

She went on a search for slacks. Not that she didn't have slacks, but nothing as form fitting as she wanted. She found the perfect pair, along with some nice jeans that she knew he'd love. She straightened her back as she walked confidently down the streets, looking for one last article of clothing... The piece her mind had been set on all day, the thing she was sure would get Elliot going wild... One of those strapless black dresses that were so famous for teaching lessons.

She walked into the squad room later that afternoon, strutting down the hallway in her new jeans and tight, black shirt that she wore to flirt. It was low cut and the back was cut to show her skin. She made sure she her panties were showing so she had a slight whale tail.

The room looked up as the came through the doors. She grinned successfully as Elliot did a double take when he saw her.

"Olivia," he breathed. "What – what... What are you doing here?" he fumbled over his own words, taken aback by how dashing she looked. "You're not supposed to be working today."

She stopped at her desk, resting her weight on the left side of her body as she looked down at Elliot. She already had him drooling and she grinned again. "I'm just dropping a couple things off. Figure I probably won't get a chance to go home tomorrow before my date with Noah."

Olivia's lips were luscious and plump with the maroon lipstick she was wearing, and her brown eyes were brought out by the brown eye shadow she was wearing, as well. She smiled as Elliot looked her up and down.

She walked past him, towards the lockers. As she did so, she grabbed his shoulder lightly with her newly done nails – French tips. She leaned over placed her lips right beside his ear. "Are you sure you want to stay home?" she whispered seductively. She pulled away and ran her fingers over his ear and through his hair as she walked away, swinging her hips.

Elliot watched her go, longing to kiss those luscious lips... But it wasn't just his body that wanted her back...

Olivia put her clothes in her locker and shut it, sighing sadly. She knew what she was doing, and she knew it was to get Elliot back... But it hurt her heart so... It panged for him...

She sighed again, shaking the feeling off and convincing herself that it was for the best. She trotted back into the squad room, her heels clicking on the pavement. She stopped when she saw that Elliot wasn't at his desk. She drew her brow in. "Where'd El go?" she asked Fin.

"He said something about the bathroom..." he mumbled, continuing to finish his paperwork. He glanced up at her. "What exactly are you doing?"

She blushed slightly, but kept her composure. "Nothing," she said defensively. "I'm not doing anything."

Fin raised an eyebrow, seeing through her lies. "Please don't tell him," she whispered desperately, kneeling by his desk. "Please, Fin..."

"But why, baby girl?" he asked quietly.

"I miss him," she admitted. "I miss him terribly," she whispered, biting her lip. "So, so much… I want him back."

Fin was always good at spotting things, and even though they never told anyone... Fin knew. He was so protective of Olivia, especially since Sealview, and he tried to notice everything that went on with her… And so far, he was pretty successful. He nodded submissively, giving her a slight grin.

"Thanks, Fin," she sighed and stood before walking away, her hips not swinging quite as much.

She was grateful that she didn't see Elliot on her way back out, and that she was alone in the elevator. She slumped against the wall, doing everything she could to keep herself from crying. She really meant what she said to Fin. She really missed having Elliot – being his – even if all they did was argue… But mostly, she missed the mental bond they used to share; she missed always being in sync.

Later that evening, Olivia lay on the couch in her apartment. As much as she tried to keep her mind off of Elliot, her thoughts kept wandering back to him. She scooped out another spoonful of ice-cream, consuming the half gallon she'd bought earlier. "It's okay," she kept telling herself. "I'll run it off in the morning, before getting him back… for good." Her mind never thought anything of it…

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Olivia got up early that morning, after falling asleep on the couch. She got into her new short-shorts and a tight, white spaghetti-strap, then strapped an iPod to her arm after pulling her hair into a ponytail. She set out on a jog bright and early, before the sun even rose. She figured she needed enough time to run all the way to the precinct, take a shower, and change… besides, she was never able to sleep well, and she wanted to be there early.

A good two hours later, when the sun was already up, Olivia arrived at the squad room. Just as she had hoped, Elliot was already there. She wasn't sure he'd even left. He'd caught a case and it looked as though he hadn't slept all night.

"Well, I would have brought you a coffee if you had told me you'd been up all night," she panted, putting her hands on her hips and looking down at him, pulling her ear-buds out.

"It's okay," he sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "I just caught a case, and…" he trailed off as he looked up at her. "Wow." He paused, looking her up and down again for the second time in less than twenty four hours. "You look fantastic."

She smiled. "That's what the runs are for." And with that, she trotted off towards the lockers. Once there, she grabbed her new slacks, blouse, and towel before heading off to the showers.

As she rubbed the shampoo into her hair, she smiled, humming a soft tune to herself that she'd just been listening to on her iPod. The warm water felt so good over her naked body, it was warm and comforting, like Elliot's touch was…

She got to the chorus and began and sang the words softly to herself. "I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain, it's two AM and I'm cursing your name, you're so in love that you act insane, and that's the way I loved you…" Her thoughts fell to Elliot, and she was surprised how hard it had been recently to keep him out of her head. "Breaking down and coming undone, it's a, a rollercoaster kind of rush and I, I never knew I could feel that much, and that's the way I loved you," she sang softly.

Olivia finally got out of the shower and dried herself off before putting on her new clothes. She rubbed them down, smoothing out any wrinkles, then looked at herself in the mirror. She was so happy with her appearance. She sighed, fluffed her hair, and strutted confidently into the other room.

Elliot looked up, his eyes popping slightly. "What's with all the new clothes, Liv?" he asked as she sat down across from him.

"What? A girl can't look pretty sometimes?" she grinned slyly before dropping her eyes to the miles of paperwork on her desk. Her grin dropped and she sighed remorsefully. She could feel Elliot's eyes still on her, and she knew this was going to be a fun day… long, but fun.

The end of the day couldn't have come fast enough. By eight that evening, Olivia was exhausted. She wanted to give up teasing Elliot and just go home to sleep. But she had one more teasing outfit for him, then she had a dinner date with Noah. She sighed miserably to herself… It was her and Noah's three month anniversary, and she knew he was going to do something special. She was just nervous about what it was…

Slipping into the black dress and strappy heels, she entered the squad room again, only to find that Elliot wasn't there. She put her hand on her hip angrily. "Where's he this time?" she asked Fin.

"Bathroom," he said automatically, pointing out the doors.

Olivia glanced sadly over her shoulder. This was the _one _outfit, the _one_ he needed to see her in. The one that she was sure was going to get him back…

She turned and trotted out of the squad room, pressing the elevator button. As she was waiting for it, she glanced over and saw Elliot walking towards her, tucking his shirt in. He looked up and stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping.

"Olivia," he said as he approached her. "You look… you look…" He was stumbling again, and Olivia smiled at her success.

"Hot? Sexy? I know," she said, looking up at him seductively.

"Beautiful," he whispered, looking back into her eyes. Her smile dropped when she saw how serious he actually was. "Stunning," he paused, looking for the right word to describe this gorgeous creature in front of him. "Breathtaking," he conclude.

She grinned slightly, pushing the tears coming to her eyes back. "Thank you," she whispered. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she repeated louder, and with less emotion in her voice.

"Liv?" he asked softly, putting a hand softly to her waist, pulling her closer. "Why'd we ever stop seeing each other?"

She looked up at him with confused eyes. "You needed to stay home with Kathy and the kids, don't you remember?" Her voice was full of pain that she was obviously trying to mask… poorly.

"I know," he sighed, slightly aggravated. "I know." He pulled away and ran his fingers through his hair.

She simply looked at him, ignoring the elevator doors that were waiting open for her.

"But Liv," he said, coming closer to her again. "I need you, I can't do this without you. I need you more than I need them," he whispered the last sentence.

There was a long moment of silence between them as the world around them melted away. They looked into each others eyes, blue meeting brown…

"Will you give me a second chance, Liv?" he finally asked softly.

The world came crashing back to Olivia and she sighed, breaking eye contact with him. "Just give me some time to think about it. Okay, El?"

He nodded, sadness crossing his eyes. "Okay," he sighed before walking away, back to the squad room.

Olivia watched him before pressing the button again, realizing that the elevator had already come and gone.

That night, Olivia and Noah went out to a fancy restaurant – not that they didn't always go out to a fancy place, because Noah was a doctor, and he could afford anything…

She'd barely heard a word Noah had said all night because she'd been deeply considering Elliot's proposal… And wasn't that the whole point of this? As he was driving her home, she thought about how she might go about breaking up with him… _if_ she was going to break up with him.

"Thanks," she said, rather absently, when he dropped her off in front of her building.

Once again, Olivia lay on her couch, her thoughts falling back to Elliot. It was always Elliot… Instead of having a half-gallon of ice-cream in her hands, though, she held a small white stick. She tapped it on her chest anxiously. It was the longest three minutes of her life…

Finally, after those moments passed, Olivia sat bolt upright. She bit her lip as the lines began to appear. She dropped the pregnancy test as the pink plus appeared. She – Olivia Benson – was finally pregnant, after all these years of waiting…

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_**A/N: *le gasp!* How'd you guys like that? R&R, let me know!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, despite all my begging.**_

_**A/N: First of all... can I ask for no more harsh comments? If you don't like it, why'd you read it? And if you're not going to say something nice, then please don't say anything at all... Because you guys are the only people that get to read my writing (which is a very personal part of me). You guys are also the only people who don't judge me because of my obsession with this show...  
**_

_**Now, with that said, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. ^_^**_

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"Cap?" Elliot asked, knocking on Cragen's open office door later the next day.

"What is it detective?" he asked, not bothering to look up.

He shifted nervously. "Where's Olivia?" he finally asked.

Cragen looked up at him. That's not the words he'd been expecting to come out of Elliot's mouth. He had expected it to be something about the case. He simply knit his brow, still slightly confused. "She called in a sick day… Why?"

Elliot scratched the back of his neck absently. "Oh, no reason. Thanks," he said, leaving the office. He knew she wasn't sick, he knew something was wrong... but his mind never even fell to what the actual reason might be…

He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and barely kept from running to his car. He got in and revved the engine, thinking about how old this car actually was, and how he needed a new one. Those thoughts all fell away as soon as he pulled away. He raced to Olivia's building.

Running to the third story, Elliot frantically knocked on her door. "Olivia?" he called. "Olivia!" No answer came from inside. He slumped against the wall across from her door, sighing sadly.

Then, suddenly, and as luck would have it, a soft humming came from the stairwell. Elliot turned his head to look at the source of the noise. A familiar figure appeared, fumbling with her keys. She had a bright smile on her face. Elliot grinned, too. "Olivia," he sighed softly.

Then she looked up and saw him. Her smile dropped and she froze. "Elliot… What are you doing here?" Her voice became slightly sterner.

"I wanted to know why you'd called in a sick day, because I knew you weren't sick," he said.

Olivia walked past him, unlocking her door and pushing it open. "It's really none of your business." She dropped her purse on the side table by the door before heading into the kitchen. It fell open and Elliot couldn't keep himself from looking inside.

He pulled out her appointment book and flipped open to today's date. _OB Appointment_, it read in her curly handwriting. A crisply folded picture fell from between the pages and Elliot picked it up, putting the appointment book aside. He unfolded the picture and his jaw dropped.

It was an ultrasound… Dated today…

Olivia suddenly stepped back into the room, her hands full of the alcohol from her cabinets. "Do you want some -" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Elliot holding the picture. "What are you doing with that?" she hissed quietly, setting the alcohol on every available surface as she made her way to Elliot. She snatched the photo from him. "That is none of your business!"

"Isn't it?" he asked, looking up at her with hurt filled eyes. He looked like a puppy that had just been kicked. "How far along are you?"

She dropped her eyes. She turned around and went to pick up the alcohol again, not answering his question. "So, uh..." she began, her voice shaking slightly. "You don't want any of this, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Okay, I'll just toss it." She disappeared into the kitchen again. Elliot followed her, his eyes still full of pain. She poured the contents of the alcohol down the sink and tossed the bottles in the recycling. She leaned over the sink, not showing Elliot her obvious tears. She sniffled softly.

"From that picture and that chest…" Olivia chuckled slightly, pulling her shirt close around her swollen breasts. He grinned, too. They both knew that he knew this procedure all too well. "I'd guess about four months… And you've only been seeing Noah for… what? Three months? Have you even slept with him?" He paused. "That would make it mine, wouldn't it…?" His voice was soft, not accusing.

Olivia took a deep breath and turned to face him. Her eyes and cheeks were red from crying and Elliot winced… there it was again, he made her cry again… She nodded as she bit her bottom lip.

Elliot couldn't keep his happiness down, and a bright smile crept across his face. He leapt from his seat and threw his arms around Olivia. "Livvie," he sighed happily. "Oh, Liv." He pulled back and looked at her, a huge smile across his face. Olivia smiled back at him.

"I just found out last night… I was going to tell you tomorrow… I was going to tell you that," she paused and took a deep breath, "I _was_ going to give you a second chance."

And at those words, at this moment, Elliot Stabler – the strongest man – gave into his weakness and started crying. He dropped to his knees and cupped her stomach in his hands, kissing it gently. "Hey, baby," he choked out.

"Are you ready to do this _again_?" Olivia asked him rather playfully, her tears falling away.

He looked up to her, grinning. He sneered up at her playfully. It was going to go back to normal now… everything would be just like it was before. Except not. They were having a baby… _Elliot_ and _Olivia_ were having a_ baby_. It was more than his mind could comprehend.

"This might make it a little hard to not tell the gang… To keep the IAB off our ass, as well."

"Well, I'm not getting a new partner," Olivia said simply.

Elliot grinned and kissed her stomach again. "No morning sickness?" he asked, nuzzling her flat stomach with his nose.

She shook her head. "No morning sickness, no nothing. I've only been more tired than usual. I heard that might mean it's a boy," she said with a grin.

Elliot stood, looking down at her with that same smile spread wide across his face. He raised a hand and cupped her cheek, rubbing it gently with his thumb. His face was full of a tender look. He leaned down and kissed her deeply.

Olivia pulled away and leaned into his chest, hugging him tightly. She nuzzled close to him. He rested his chin on top of her head. Like a puzzle piece, her head fit perfectly into the crook of his neck, like it was always supposed to be there. "I've missed you so much, El," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. "I have too." He kissed the top of her head softly.

* * *

Olivia's eyes fluttered open just as the rising sun flooded through her windows. She blinked several times, adjusting to the new light. Then she smiled, remembering last night… Then she rolled over and found the bed next to her empty, though the covers had been pulled back like someone had slept there. She put her hand over the space and found it was still warm. She smiled again and pushed herself up, dragging herself to the kitchen.

"Hey sleepy-head," Elliot chuckled, kissing her forehead. "You can't have anymore coffee, so I got you some orange juice," he said, handing her the glass.

She frowned at it. "I'd rather have grape." She pouted up at him.

"Well all you have is orange. I'll get you some grape after work today. Which, by the way," he started as he walked away, his arm around Olivia's waist, "you'll have to tell Cragen, and he'll put you straight on desk."

Olivia pouted again, sipping idly at her orange juice.

As the couple pulled up and entered the building, Elliot nudged Olivia. She looked unwillingly at him, but reluctantly stepped into Cragen's office, shutting the door behind her.

Elliot sighed, sitting down at his desk. Fin spied him from across the room, watching him carefully over his cup of coffee.

"Where are we on the Maggie Shepherd case?" Elliot asked as he flipped through the file.

"Same place we were last night," Fin sighed, sitting down at his desk.

Olivia then came out of Cragen's office, blushing madly. Cragen followed her out, standing in his doorway. "Elliot," he said loudly. "Office." And with that, he disappeared back into his office.

Elliot looked to Olivia and she shrugged, falling into her chair. Elliot stood and entered Cragen's office, shutting the door. "Cap'n?" he asked unsurely.

"Olivia says that she's refusing a new partner, and that you two will be able to keep your personal life out of your work. I hope the same goes for you."

Elliot nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good, because I don't want to split up my best detectives." He smiled slightly.

Since Cragen didn't have any kids, he thought of his detectives as his adopted children. He only wanted the best for them…

As Elliot and Olivia lay on the couch that evening, Elliot stroking her flat stomach softly, they discussed names. And the conversation eventually drifted to Noah, and what was going to happen.

"I don't know," Olivia sighed.

"You're not the cheating type, Liv. And I don't want to be the man you cheat with…"

She played idly with his fingers. "I know… But El," she sighed, rolling over in his arms to face him. "He's just so perfect."

Elliot looked down into her eyes for a long moment. Those chocolate brown eyes that stole his heart so many years ago… "You don't love him," he stated simply.

She looked away. "That doesn't matter… He's the perfect man…"

"Not for you," he informed her quietly.

Her eyes shot back up to him and she grinned. "You're right. _You're_ the perfect man for me." She nodded. "I'll do it, then."

He kissed her forehead. "Good for you."

She leaned against him, shutting her eyes. She reluctantly drifted into her dreams, because her reality was finally better than her dreams… Because she finally had him... For good, this time.

* * *

_**A/N: Fluuufff! ^_^ Please R&R (but only nice things, please!). Tell me how you liked it (and how you all knew it was Elliot's). ;)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**DISCLAIMER: I wish. But I can only grab claims to Noah.**_

_**A/N: The break-up chapter... I'm sorry it's so short. It was written pretty hastily... I wasn't actually going to put this in originally, but... eh. Whatever. Here it is. Enjoy! **_

* * *

He stood as she approached him, smiling brightly. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly as they both sat back down. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey," she said back. Her voice was sad as she averted her gaze.

"Livvie? What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked. His expression was sincere. Olivia looked up to him and winced and sighed sadly.

"Noah," she began. "This... isn't easy to say."

She looked up to him and drew her brow in at the change of his expression. His face was full of a tender sadness. He smiled weakly, his big hazel eyes sparkling tenderly. "You don't have to, then."

"What?" she sighed quietly.

"I've known you were never in this. Not truly." He nodded slightly, dropping his gaze. "Your heart's always belonged to someone else, hasn't it?"

She bit her lip as she continued to look across the table at him.

"It's your partner, isn't it? Emmet or Elliot?" He chuckled. "You weren't much of a talker, so I... I can't recall his name. But when you did," he paused, chewing on his lip slightly, "his name was always mentioned."

A single tear ran down Olivia's cheek as she smiled. It was true...

"It's not just that, Noah," she said as they both looked back up to each other. "It's... so much more..."

"What more could there be?"

She bit her lip and looked sadly at him. Her tears were welling up behind the sad look in her big brown eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words got caught in her throat.

"I'm pregnant," she finally choked out. Olivia could see the heartbreak in his eyes at those words.

"His baby?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "But it was before we got together, Noe, I swear." Her eyes pleaded for forgiveness.

Then he did the last thing on the planet she expected from him; he smiled. "I'm happy for you. You talked about wanting a baby... now you're getting one."

She gaped at him, not knowing exactly how to react to that. Finally, she stood and walked over to him, gently cupping his face in her hand. "I love you, Noah Hodge. But I could never be in love with you."

And with that, she bent down and kissed his cheek. Her fingers slid slowly off his cheek and she turned to walk away from him. Forever. He watched her go, putting a hand to his cheek, the feeling still lingering on his skin...

* * *

She dumped the bag at his feet, folding her arms rather angrily. Her blond hair hung limply around her face and she didn't have any makeup on. She looked exhausted and overworked.

He looked up from the bag to her, a sweet, sorry look in his eyes.

She nodded slightly, biting her lip. "I always knew it'd end up like this," she said, turning away.

"Kathy," Elliot began, following her as she went into the kitchen.

"Don't… say you're sorry," she said hastily, turning back to face him from across the island counter.

He looked back at her with hurt in his eyes. He was surprised by her outburst.

She averted her gaze. "For eleven years, Elliot… This marriage has been falling apart for eleven years... since you fell in love with her."

And right then, Elliot knew that Kathy, too, knew all along… Just like everybody else had. And he wondered why nobody had ever told them, made them realize. He nodded.

"I just can't believe you got her pregnant," Kathy said quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear. She folded her arms uncomfortably and bit her lip. Elliot thought it looked as though she was trying to keep from crying in front of him.

"With my track record, I'm not so surprised," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Kathy didn't smile. "Just…" she started slowly, her gaze holding steadily to his. "Just because you have this new family… please just promise me that you won't forget about us. Your kids; Eli… me…"

He moved around the corner, stepping close to her. He looked into her big blue eyes for a long minute, and then stroked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I promise," he whispered tenderly.

* * *

**_A/N: This will be the last chapter for a couple weeks... I'm going away for two weeks. I'm sorry I have to leave you with this. But please R&R! (And again... please no harsh, mean reviews...) Thanks! Love you guys! _**


	5. Chapter 5

_**DISCLAIMER: I wish. But it all belongs to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: I'm back! And I thought it'd be way too cruel to wait to update, so here's the next part. Finally... Hope you like it!**_

* * *

She opened her eyes, finally deciding to wake up after lying in her bed for a long while. She pushed herself up and leaned back slightly, her back aching. She pushed herself up and waddled to the bathroom. She turned the water on and filled the tub with warm, steaming water. She slowly immersed herself in it, sighing gladly as the warm water rushed over her body. She rubbed the bulge of her swollen stomach sticking out of the water. The baby inside kicked slightly at his mother's touch.

"Olivia!" came a call from the other room.

"In here!" she shouted as she climbed out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her, her huge stomach falling out.

Casey stepped into the room. "Ready to go?"

"Obviously not," she chuckled. "Go where?"

"Shopping, of course."

"Shopping? I don't want to go shopping. My feet hurt and my back aches. Shopping sounds terrible."

"Well, you need to do it sometime. He's coming in just two weeks."

Olivia's due date was in just under two weeks, and she'd hardly done any shopping for the baby. Not to mention setting up any of the furniture for him, such as a crib. She'd been too busy with work. She figured she'd just get Elliot to do it sometime… But her time was running shorter and shorter. Her mind hadn't quiet grasped that she was going to be giving birth… To Elliot's child, nonetheless.

Her and Elliot had moved into a small house shortly after her and Noah had broken up, one with a couple extra bedrooms. Boxes still littered the house.

"Fine," she succumbed.

"Great. So, you go get dressed, I have a call to make," she said, grinning smugly as she left the room.

When Olivia entered the living room several minutes later, Casey was still on the phone. "Great, so you've got to be here in ten minutes." She turned and saw Olivia standing there. "Gotta go," she said quickly and flipped the phone shut.

"Who was that?" Olivia asked.

"Nobody," she said hastily. "Let's go."

Olivia eyed her friend suspiciously, wondering what on earth she could be up to. "Fine," she finally agreed. "Let's go."

And with that, the two left the house to go shopping.

The boys arrived just ten short minutes later and began to work right away, knowing they didn't have much time. Fin and Munch began painting the spare room for the baby. The color was gorgeous, a lovely robins-egg blue, trimmed with a deep navy.

Elliot and Cragen began working on setting up the baby furniture.

"Are you nervous?" Cragen asked casually, not even looking up to meet Elliot's gaze.

Elliot, however, looked straight up at Cragen. He sighed deeply, thinking about it for a minute. Finally, he nodded slightly. "A bit, yeah…"

"Were you nervous with your other kids?"

"Ah, hell. I shaking I was so nervous," he chuckled.

Cragen nodded, grinning. After a long minute of silence, he spoke again. "Why aren't you as nervous this time?" he asked softly.

Elliot sat back, leaning against the wall. He shook his head. "I don't know… I think it's because it's Olivia. It's so… so… natural with Olivia. Like it was always supposed to play out this way…" Elliot smiled, knowing that it was _just_ how this was supposed to play out.

With all four guys working, it didn't take long to get the room set up. By the time that Olivia and Casey walked through the door nearly five hours later.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, dropping the bags she was carrying on the coffee table. She put a hand under her swollen belly as if to support it.

Munch nodded back towards the room. "Take a look," he said simply.

Olivia looked past the men standing grinning in her living room, and towards the room. She stepped past them and pushed open the door. She gasped as saw the work they'd done. The crib and changing table had been completely set up. They stood against a blue wall. On the back wall there was an empty picture frame, with a silver plate underneath it that read: _Benson-Stabler Family_. She grinned and ran her fingers over it, tears coming to her eyes.

The gang in the other room had gathered in the doorway to watch Olivia admire the room.

She finally turned back to them. "It's perfect," she sighed.

* * *

That same night, Olivia snuck out of bed, after she was sure that Elliot was asleep. She went back into the baby's room. She loved the smell of the new paint and fresh wood. She sunk into a rocking chair that had been added later.

The moon poured through the open window and a blew the curtains. It looked magical to Olivia. She smiled, rubbing her swollen belly with both hands. The baby inside started kicking, only lightly, and Olivia smiled.

There was a soft shuffle and Elliot appeared from across the hall. He stood in the doorway, looking fully awake. He was dressed in just loose sweats, showing off his chiseled body."Hey," he said quietly, grinning.

He stepped farther into the room and Olivia rose from the chair. He snaked his muscular arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close to him, her swollen stomach bumping into his and keeping them separated.

"You look beautiful," he whispered tenderly, leaning down and placing his forehead against hers.

"That's a lie," she chuckled softly. "I look like crap. My hairs a mess, I don't have any makeup on..." she paused, dropping her eyes to her stomach. She then looked back up to him. "And I'm fat," she pouted.

"You're pregnant," he corrected her. "And you're gorgeous."

"Thank you," she whispered back.

He leaned forward and kissed her deeply.

She pulled away, looking into those big blue eyes. "Thank you," she said again. "For everything."

He smiled tenderly at her. He knew what she meant by that, and he leaned forward again and kissed her. "I'm glad it's me," he admitted. "Not some other guy... Not Noah."

She smiled guiltily up at him, continually shifting her gaze from his eyes to his lips. "I am, too," she whispered finally, tucking her head under his chin. It fit so perfectly, like a puzzle piece that was always supposed to go there.

The two spun slowly in each others arms, dancing to an imaginary song in their heads.

"I feel like there's something between us," he said softly. She chuckled and just snuggled closer to his warm chest.

"You're gonna be a daddy," she whispered, shutting her eyes as they continued to rock slowly.

"You're forgetting one thing..." He paused. "I already am a daddy."

She sneered to herself. "You're gonna be a daddy _again_," she corrected.

He chuckled. "A sixth time."

"Fifth," she corrected him. "You had twins."

"Doesn't mean I wasn't a dad twice," he argued playfully.

"Touché," she said.

There was a long silence before Elliot finally spoke again. "I'm nervous as hell," he whispered.

"Me too," she admitted quietly.

* * *

**_A/N: Please R&R! Tell me how you liked it! Because that little green button there just looks so lonely, doesn't it? Plus, you know... reviews kick my spirits to work faster. ;) Okay, thanks!_** _**^_^**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**DISCLAIMER: Someday it will be mine. But as of now, it still belongs to Dick.**_

_**A/N: Finally! I'm sorry it took so long. I meant to get it up sooner, but I got distracted by other things. So now I'm back to school, so it might be slower like this, again... I'm sorry. But it's not done... yet. Though I think it might be soon. Just a warning. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

It was two in the morning and it had been a good twelve hours since Olivia had gone into labor. She had taken a walk with Elliot earlier and climbed into the tub, as the nurses had recommended. Now Olivia was several long hours into delivery.

She was lying in the hospital bed, already beginning to sweat as the time between contractions began to lapse. She held onto Elliot's hand tightly. He kissed her forehead gently.

"I'll go get Doctor Hodge," one of the nurses said, hurrying out of the room.

"Hodge?" she said, looking to Elliot with scared eyes. "What's his first name?"

"Noah," another nurse said.

Olivia rolled her head back. "No, no. I can't have him."

"Well he's the only doctor on right now who's certified to deliver, so you're going to have to."

"You don't understand. I _can't_ have him," she persisted.

Elliot's shoulders had slouched at the mention of the name and he looked upset. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It'll be okay, babe. It'll be okay."

He grinned. "Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?"

Olivia leaned back into the pillow, moaning loudly in pain.

Just then, the doctor walked in, pulling his gloves on. He froze when he saw Olivia's pained face, drenched in sweat. "Olivia?" he questioned, mostly to himself.

She smiled rather angrily, clenching her teeth at the pain. "Hey, Noah," she said, hot tears beginning to stream down her face. "Do you think you could... you know? Help me out a bit?"

Noah's gaze shifted towards Elliot's. Their eyes locked and they stared at each other. Elliot's gaze was sad, and almost angry, while Noah's was envious.

Then Olivia moaned in pain again as another contraction hit. Both of their gazes broke and they looked back to her. Elliot stroked her hair back and kissed her forehead.

"Okay, Olivia," Noah sighed, sitting down by her feet. "You're fully dilated, so when the next contraction comes, I'm gonna need you to push, alright?"

And as soon as it hit, Olivia clenched her teeth and pushed, squeezing Elliot's hand tightly.

An hour of strenuous pushing later, things got complicated. The doctors began talking to each other in medical terms that Elliot could only barely follow.

"Fetal heart rate is down," one of the nurses said. "It could be a sign of distress."

"Okay, big push, mom," Noah said to her.

Olivia screamed loudly as she pushed again.

"Head's out," said the nurse currently between Olivia's legs.

"Meconium," said the nurse next to her.

Noah's face became pale and he hurried to grab the suction tube.

"What's that? What's meconium?" Elliot asked nervously, holding onto Olivia's hand tightly.

"It's the fluids that are in their intestines before birth and can get into their lungs during birth."

Elliot stroked Olivia's hair again, trying to calm and comfort her. "What will that mean? For the baby? Is it bad?"

"If it does get into his lungs, we'll have to incubate him and suck it out," Noah said hastily.

They finally pulled the baby out, cutting the chord. There was no sound, no crying.

"He's not crying," Olivia sighed tiredly. "Why isn't he crying?"

"It's intentional. We don't want him to breathe in the meconium," Noah said, putting a tube up the baby's nose and beginning to drain the fluids. They wheeled him out of the room.

"Where are they taking him? Where are they taking my baby?"

"They're going to drain the fluids. He'll be alright." She paused briefly before continuing. "I'm gonna need you to push once more for the placenta."

Olivia gave one more small push. Pacing the placenta was nothing compared to the baby. She laid back in the bed, crying. Elliot kissed her forehead gently again.

Gradually the room emptied and Elliot and Olivia were left alone. It wasn't long before Olivia had fallen asleep, she was exhausted. He sat with his head bowed in the chair next to her bed. He tapped his fingers together and tapped his foot on the ground nervously. He couldn't stop thinking about their baby…

He sat there for almost an hour.

The door suddenly swung open and Elliot's head shot up. Olivia awoke, too, as the wheels of the glass crib were wheeled into the room. It was almost as if she could sense his presence…

The nurse picked him up and showed him to Elliot and Olivia. She smiled at the look on his parents faces.

He was wrapped in a white blanket, his head and arms uncovered. His little arms were crossed and his head limp. His little eyes were shut. He was sound asleep.

Tears welled up behind Olivia's eyes and she extended her hands, reaching for him. The nurse placed him in his mother's arms and left the room. Olivia smiled down at him, stroking his cheek with her finger. Elliot stood over her, his arm around her shoulder, smiling down at him too.

Neither of them noticed as a figure stood in their doorway, leaning on the frame. He crossed his arms and smiled meekly at the family. He simply stood there looking at them for the longest time.

"He looks just like his father," he finally said quietly.

Both Elliot and Olivia's heads shot up to look at the source of the voice. "Noah," Olivia sighed, grinning slightly.

"But he has his mother's eyes," he finished. He didn't move a muscle as he spoke.

"Thank you so much, Noe… Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled. "Congratulations, Livvie."

Just as he turned to leave, Olivia spoke up again. "Do you want to see him?"

He smiled as he hung his head, one hand resting on the door frame. He glanced back over her shoulder at her. He bit his lip… He knew that child could have been his, it was almost his… But he knew that that woman was the one person that he'd truly loved, even if the feeling hadn't been mutual. So all that he wanted was for her to be happy, even if it meant he wasn't. And he could see that she was happy; she had the baby that she'd always dreamed of. He shook his head simply, and disappeared from sight.

Olivia looked back down to the sleeping baby in her arms… _her_ baby, _their_ baby.

Elliot leaned in close and kissed his newborn son's forehead very gently. Olivia turned her smiling gaze to his and leaned her forehead against his, pushing back the tears of joy building behind her eyelids.

"Daddy!" a little boy cried, rushing into the room and into Elliot's arms.

"Hey buddy," Elliot said, leaning down to scoop him up.

Kathy appeared in the doorway, smiling sullenly. Elliot put Eli down on the bed, next to Olivia. He crawled forward, putting a hand out to touch the baby's soft skin. Eli sat cross-legged in front of Olivia, who smiled, slowly shifting the baby into Eli's little lap. He supported his head, playing with his brother's fingers with his other hand.

Elliot went to stand by Kathy, watching his new family from her view.

"He looks just like you," she said, turning to look at him. She smiled, but her eyes still held a sad look behind them.

"So I've been told," he chuckled.

"What's his name?"

Elliot shook his head. "We don't have one yet."

Kathy simply nodded and looked back to Olivia, whose attention was absorbed by the two small boys in front of her. She had a bright smile on her face – a motherly glow…

"Were we ever that happy?" she asked quietly, mostly to herself.

Elliot continued to gaze at his family: Eli, who – like the rest of his children – looked just like his mother; his newest son – his one child that looked like him; and his son's mother, the love of his life, the women he had always been head over heals for, his best friend – Olivia.

"I don't know," he lied. _No,_ he thought to himself. _Never __this__ happy.

* * *

_

_**A/N: Okay. Firstly, for you ER fans, please don't give me flack about the meconium part... I liked the idea, but have no knowledge in the medical field. So, yeah. That belongs to ER. And secondly, (and you know this part all too well), please R&R! Because it boosts my self esteem. And I like to know what you think. ^_^**  
_


	7. Chapter 7

_**DISCLAIMER: I own what does not already belong to Dick. And he still won't give me the other ones, as much as I beg him.**_

_**A/N: Wow... I can't believe how long it's been (I didn't quite realize it's been over a month). I'm sorry guys. I've gotten distracted. And I've gone into a drawing phase. So I am very, very, very sorry. Well... here's the next part finally. Enjoy!**_

* * *

She rocked side to side slowly, comforting the baby in her arms. She hummed softly to him as he drifted off to sleep. She smiled as she looked down at him, her hair swinging in her face.

Carefully, she lowered herself into the rocking chair in the corner of the room, continuing to rock the baby peacefully. She nuzzled his little face with the tip of her nose, smiling brightly. "You're so perfect, little Mickey," she said under her breath.

She twirled at his black hair and ran her fingers over his soft skin, falling in love with the child in her arms all over again.

Just then, a woman stepped close to her, kneeling down in front of her. She tucked her long, blond hair behind her ear and kissed the baby's forehead softly.

"Isn't he precious?" Kathleen asked her sister.

Maureen nodded. "What's his name?" she asked quietly.

"Michael. But we've all been calling him Mickey," Kathleen replied. "When did you get in?"

"Just now," Maureen said, her eyes still glued to the baby. "Where are dad and Liv?"

"Asleep." Kathleen smiled, seeing that her sister's attention was obviously occupied. "Do you want to hold him?"

Maureen's eyes shot back up to look at Kathleen. There was a brief silence before Maureen smiled and nodded. Carefully, Kathleen handed the baby to Maureen.

Tears came to her eyes as she smiled down at him. "He looks just like dad," she finally choked out.

"But it's always the eyes, isn't it?"

"Liv's?"

Kathleen nodded.

Several long, silent moments passed as Maureen admired her new baby brother. He was almost nine months old now, and it was the first time that Maureen had seen him. She took the first red-eye flight she could once her schedule had cleared. Sitting in this room at two in the morning and meeting her baby brother for the first time.

"How's Eli like him?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Eli loves him," Kathleen chuckled.

"And Dickie and Lizzie, I assume…" Maureen trailed off in the middle of her sentence.

"Well, Dickie's not so fond of all the attention he's stealing," Kathleen joked.

"Oh, right… _Dickie_…" Maureen nodded playfully. "Don't you mean yourself?"

Kathleen sneered at her sister, who just smiled and looked back to Mickey.

"This is the way it's always supposed to have been… isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Liv and dad… They were always supposed to end up… together," she stated.

Kathleen grinned, thinking about Olivia and Elliot. Her sister was right. Olivia had been there for him – for them – for as long as she could remember. She was his best friend, but it was so obvious that she was so much more. She'd been like a second mom to all of Elliot's kids; she always took such good care of them. And now… now she _was_ a second mom to them.

Kathleen nodded in agreement with her sister. "Always."

Then Kathleen disappeared into her memories…

She thought about the many number of years ago, when she was little and her mom was too busy with the twins to help her and her father was caught on a case and gone for days on end, Olivia was always there. She helped her with her homework, and would then take her out for ice-cream. She always made sure somebody remembered her. Even when Kathleen was forgetting herself. It wasn't even a year ago, when Kathleen had gotten herself into a mountain of trouble, Olivia was there to take care of her. Her father was crumbling under the pressure, her mother was barely able to handle it. So it was Olivia that was the strong one, the one who made sure she was okay. It was always Olivia...

* * *

Their voices were low – hushed.

"Fuck you, Elliot!" she whispered harshly.

They fell silent as they heard the front door open and shut abruptly. "Maureen," Elliot whispered to himself.

It was a moment before either of them spoke again. "You have no idea what you're talking about, jackass," Olivia informed him, tears coming to her eyes.

"Then what? What _is_ it?"

"Just forget it!" she said, louder this time. She yanked open the door and went rushing out of their house. Elliot sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before following after her.

She was halfway down the block as Elliot stepped outside. "Olivia!" he called after her. Right then, it started to rain – lightly at first, but got heavy quickly. A typical New York rain storm. "Of course it is," Elliot sighed to himself, looking up at the sky. He looked back to Olivia, still running purposefully. "Olivia!" he called again.

He started running as the rain soaked though his clothes, his feet hitting the ground with a sloshing in his shoes.

Olivia was fast, but Elliot was faster. He caught up, grabbing her arm and twisting her to face him. She shook her head and tried to pull away, water and tears flying from her face. He smiled and held her face with both his hands. He leaned down and kissed her.

He pulled away and Olivia kept standing with her eyes shut, the water running over her. Then she broke down again, falling into Elliot's arms.

"I'm not ready for this yet," she cried over the pounding rain, clinging to his soaking shirt, crying into it.

"For what?"

She nuzzled closer to him, not answering.

"For what, Livvie?" he asked again, louder this time.

And just as suddenly as the rain had started, it stopped. Both Elliot and Olivia looked up to the sky, the rain falling off their skin. Olivia's eyes were red, and tears continued to fall after all the rain fell from her skin. She nuzzled close to Elliot's chest again.

"Livia? What aren't you ready for?" he asked softly after a long moment of just letting her weep as he held her.

"I'm pregnant again," she whispered so quietly it was hardly audible.

Elliot sighed. He could hardly believe it… "I… I can't believe this," he said happily.

"Well, I'm not so surprised. With your track record…" she chuckled, her voice quivering slightly.

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "But we're both in our forties, Liv. And first time parents, a new family."

"One of us is a first time parent. And that doesn't mean I haven't already had experience as a mother." She smiled and nuzzled into him. "I'm just lucky," she whispered tenderly.

"We can do this, Liv," he assured her.

"I know."

He pulled her away, holding her gently. "You sure you're ready for this again?"

She smiled and nodded. "As long as I have you…" She leaned up and kissed him passionately, snaking her arms around his neck. "…I'm ready for anything."

* * *

_**A/N: Cheesy! But that's okay. Because it's cute... right? **_

_**Anyway, when I was writing this I was thinking about how people always make their children look like either one or the other, but it's always the eyes... :D Oh, and in case you didn't catch it, those two parts overlapped.  
**_

_**And this will probably be the last chapter of this story, too. Because I've been swamped with schoolwork and busy doodling, sooo... Unless people really, REALLY want me to continue... But you know the this procedure, anyway! Please, please, please, PLEASE R&R! **_


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